NRL sale of Titans reportedly complete

Dec 13, 2017 - 6:20 AM
Former co-owner Darryl Kelly and ex-chair Rebecca Frizelle might be back at the helm of Gold Coast as early as Thursday after reportedly prevailing in the drawn-out battle for ownership of the NRL club.

Access to the keys to the NRL-owned club has been a race between the Gold Coast pair and fund manager Stuart McAuliffe, with News Corp Australia reporting the deal will be made official on Thursday.

The NRL took over the troubled franchise in 2014 after it ran into financial difficulties. The league hopes the club's long-serving duo can establish the Titans for the long term in what has been a tough sporting market to crack.

Several prospective owners, including the North Sydney Bears and Brisbane Bombers NRL bid team expressed interest in taking over the club.

The NRL on Wednesday said the sale process was still under way, however News Corp reported that McAuliffe had been notified of the decision.

Frizelle became the NRL's first female chair in 2014, but stepped down from the role in September to join the bid for the club.

Both consortiums fronted the ARL Commission last month to share their respective visions for the club.

The NRL put the Titans up for sale in late August, having already liaised with several interested parties, with the process dragging well beyond the original late October settlement prediction.

Kelly lost $5 million after the club's collapse three years ago, but wanted to remain involved and, along with Frizelle, has worked overtime to keep the ship afloat.

The new owners will have their work cut out given the city's track record of housing professional sporting outfits.

The Gold Coast rugby league franchise has been plagued by problems, dating back to the emergence of the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants in the late 1980s, with the Seagulls and Chargers both going bust.

Australian Rules, basketball, soccer and baseball teams including the Blaze, United, Gladiators, Aces, Rollers, Cougars and Coast-based Brisbane Bears have all failed to establish themselves in the region, while the AFL's Suns are waging a battle for relevance.

The ownership uncertainty has not stopped new coach Garth Brennan getting to work, with the first-time mentor luring Michael Gordon from the Sydney Roosters and Penrith pair Mitch Rein and Leilani Latu north since taking the job.

The departure of Jarryd Hayne to Parramatta has also left Brennan with money to spend, the coach hinting there might be more additions to the roster ahead of his first season in charge.